The Sponsor System

Doctoral Program

By the third year of the PhD Program, students have finished their course work and entered the research phase of the program.

The faculty adviser will usually suggest ideas for the dissertation topic. He or she will also advise on the viability and competitiveness of the dissertation with regard to its job market potential.

Students spend their time on jointly authored papers and/or research assistant positions with their sponsor or with a faculty member who will serve as a committee member on their thesis. The sponsor helps a student hone his or her research abilities and prepare for the proposal, creation, and presentation of his or her dissertation.

During the creation of the dissertation, the sponsor will meet, usually weekly, with the candidate to assess progress. The sponsor will also be a part of the committee that hears the dissertation’s defense.

Young Alumni Balseiro wins George B. Dantzig Dissertation Award

Ethan Rouen wins Deloitte Doctoral Fellowship in Accounting

The Deloitte Foundation has awarded $25,000 grants to 10 top accounting Ph.D. candidates through the Deloitte Foundation’s annual Doctoral Fellowship program. Given to students who plan to pursue academic careers upon graduation, the award will support the 2015 recipients’ final year of coursework and the subsequent year to complete their doctoral dissertation.

Profiles: PhD Students

Shiri MelumadMarketing
When asked about the Program's sense of community Shiri says: “There is a tight-knit community amongst the marketing students, and the relationships I have formed have been both professionally and personally rewarding.